Experimental Study of the Effects of Surfactants on Precipitation and Deposition of Asphaltene in Pipelines

Asphaltene deposition in oil reservoirs is one of the most critical problems in crude oil production. Factors that are effective in deposition formation in reservoirs are pressure gradient, temperature, and oil composition. These factors unbalance the chemical equilibrium in the reservoir, which results in the deposition formation. One way to prevent asphaltene deposition is to add asphaltene stabilizer as an inhibitor to crude oil. In this research, the effect of several types of surfactants on the pressure gradient caused by asphaltene deposition and the amount of deposit in the pipes is investigated using the viscosity measurement method. The results showed that the use of three types of surfactants, including coconut di ethanolamide, dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid, and biosurfactants, has a significant effect on preventing asphaltenes precipitation and deposition in the pipes. The stronger the polar group of surfactants and the lengthier their hydrocarbon chain are, their performance in stabilizing asphaltene masses is better.

Keywords:

asphaltene , inhibitor , surfactant , pipe ,